The European Commission circulated in early April a draft of ecodesign and energy labelling standards for new boilers. It hopes to agree the ecodesign standard with member states this summer. Labelling standards can be adopted by the commission. Ecodesign rules would introduce increasingly stringent energy efficiency standards that vary according to different boiler types.

There is an additional set of efficiency standards for boilers that also heat water. These will be matched to separate requirements for standalone water heaters once they have been agreed. Further standards cover noise from heat pumps, nitrogen oxide emissions and product information requirements.